PALO, Leyte (PIA) -- As the government continues to strengthen the implementation of the Executive Order 70 or the whole-of-nation approach to end local communist armed conflict, five members of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) in Eastern Visayas were added to the list of surrenderers.
Police authorities in Eastern Visayas on Wednesday, March 23, identified the CTG members as alias Bullet/Victor, male, 25 years old, single and a resident of Catarman; alias Warlen/Alo, 47 years old, married and a resident of Barangay Somoroy, Lope de Vega; alias Ricky/Rocky, 31 years old, single and a resident of Lope de Vega; and Jay-r, 20 years old, single and a resident of Catarman, all in Northern Samar.
They also surrendered high-powered firearms, short firearms, live ammunitions, anti-personnel mines, detonating cord with electric blasting cap attached, fragmentation grenades, and magazines.
Prior to this, another CTG member has voluntarily surrendered to the intelligence personnel of the 2nd Eastern Samar Police Mobile Force Company led by PLt. Col. Rolando C. Dellezo, acting force commander at the headquarters in Barangay Buenavista, Quinapondan, Eastern Samar.
The surrenderee, identified as alias Yap, is a 28-year-old farmer who is a resident of Borongan City.
He also turned over his one calibre .45 pistol, one magazine assembly with four calibre .45 live ammunitions.
According to Police Colonel Ma. Bella Rentuaya, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office 8, the surrender was made possible due to the efforts of the operating units of the 1st Northern Samar Police Mobile Force Company, Northern Samar Police Provincial Office led by PLt. Col. Edwin M. Oloan Jr. and 43rd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army led by its commanding officer, Lt. Col. Manuel B. Degay Jr.
The returnees are now under the custody of the 43rd Infantry Batallion of the Philippine Army in Lope de Vega, Northern Samar after they turned themselves to authorities on Wednesday evening.
In a statement, BGen. Bernard Banac, PRO 8 regional director, lauded the strong teamwork of the PNP and the military in the region.
“The swift action of our PRO-8 police and our army counterpart is beyond commendable and this is part of our efforts to keep the peace in Samar Island. This was eased with the strong teamwork from our men and the cooperation of the people. As law enforcers, we must intensify arrest of these transgressors within the terms of the authority,” Banac said.
Records from police authorities in the region showed that in 2021, a total of 172 CTG members returned to the fold of the law and another 21 were convinced to lay down their arms since January this year. (MMP/CBA/PIA-8)
